The present invention relates to a device for safely connecting jumper cables, and in particular to a safety device which is clamp activated.
Car batteries often weaken or die so as to require a jump start. As is well known, to strengthen or revive a battery, one connects the positive terminal of a live battery to the positive terminal of the weak or dead battery and connects the negative terminals using jumper cables. The hazards of improperly connecting jumper cables are also well known. Most importantly, if the cables are crossed, the electrical and electronic systems of one or both of the cars may be damaged, and there is a risk of battery explosion.
Often, an uninitiated driver or user does not know or cannot determine how to connect the cables. For example, the user may be unable to ascertain the polarity of the terminals. Moreover, typical existing polarity detectors do not prevent an uninitiated user from connecting negative to positive and positive to negative. Therefore, there is a need for a simple to use, relatively fail-safe device to ensure that the jumper cables are connected correctly.
An additional problem relating to vehicle batteries is the need for quick and easy disconnection and reconnection of terminals, especially at automotive plants where new cars are often stored for several months before shipping. It is best to store the car with at least one terminal of the battery disconnected for reasons such as avoiding inadvertent battery drain and hindering theft. When it comes time to ship the cars, the battery is reconnected. It is desirable to reconnect the terminal without a wrench so as to streamline the shipping process.